Uchihas Never Cower
by Juri.DP
Summary: "And I don't mean to alarm you, but," she knelt next to him, whispering, "I think you're attracted to me."
1. Chapter 1

**It's meh special day, guys. I should be sleeping!**

**And we shall mark this day! 06/09/14**

**Enjoy!**

**.  
**

**.**

**.**

**.**

Punishment or remedial courses?

He tried to figure out the answer, but he couldn't for the life of him understand what this was all for.

With the end of the war and the rebuilding of the village, Sasuke's hometown welcome was very... Konoha-esque. He helped them in the end, that was true, but he still went rogue. He allied with an S-rank criminal, so he had always expected some brutal consequence if he ever cared to return.

So, maybe this _was_ a punishment.

According to that ever gracious, ever Naruto-influenced Hokage, Sasuke missed out on some major learning turning points when he left the village. He never officially passed the Chunin Exams, so there was no reason to discuss the possibility of becoming a jonin or anything above his documented skills and capabilities.

That's when he was given an ultimatum: Train with the remaining teams of Konoha 11 or go back to basics.

The latter plainly stated what was to be expected, so, without much thought, he agreed to the former.

His decision led to tedious assignments: He would train with the teams—one by one—for an indefinite amount of time and be evaluated on his progress and skills. Collectively, the team would grade his performance and either pass or fail him. If he failed, he had to start over with that team. If he failed a second time, regardless of what team he was on, he had to resign as a ninja.

Apparently, they _could_ treat him with some sense.

Training began with Team 7 merely for the sake of being reunited, and it remained that way for a month. He had to learn what it was like to be on a proper team and rely on others again.

It was too awkward for him in the beginning. His teammates treated him like nothing happened—like he hadn't tried to kill both of them at some point. He'd run off when things started to feel too much like the old days, and he didn't know why he wanted nothing to do with the old him. He had been so incredibly misled and blinded by revenge and reform, now he was given a chance to start over? There was an opportunity for him to do right by someone's standards? It was just...too much.

Unsurprisingly, it would be Naruto who sought him out and made him see reason. He never liked how persuasive an idiot like him could be, but he began to wonder if being clueless was just an act.

For the second month, the eerie, pale doppelgänger known as Sai joined them, and Kakashi was replaced by a man who went by Yamato.

That had been a tough month.

Taking orders from Kakashi and dealing with the nostalgic Naruto and Sakura were enough, but he didn't even _know_ this Yamato freak, and Sai was determined to etch his way under the Uchiha's skin. It took a lot of forced effort, but Sasuke was at least able to tolerate the two new members.

Team 7's final verdict: Pass.

Then came Team 10.

They lacked a sensei, but Shikamaru was given special rights as team leader and Sasuke's main overseer. It wasn't so bad, if he had to be honest. The Ino-Shika-Cho team mastered in strategy and group reliance, but the difficulty came in trying to include Sasuke in their already perfect dynamic. Many missions were almost compromised by the dysfunctional formations they tried to execute, so Shikamaru came up with an idea. Because of Sasuke's enhanced ocular abilities, he would stick close to the Nara and help guide their attacks with his Sharingan. It was rare that anything above the Sharingan was needed, and, once the flow of the team was established, success rates on missions sky rocketed—not to mention the time at which it took to complete a mission was drastically shortened.

He blamed this on the team before him, but he found a bond was made between him and Team 10. Like Sakura, Ino was not as annoying as she was in the past, and he was able to hold conversations with the blonde without feeling like it would lead to an undesirable moment. Choji also turned out to be decent company. He was an overly soft guy when it came to his emotions, but he had proved to be very welcoming of the Uchiha—and he wasn't afraid to ask questions about his time as a rogue. Shikamaru had taken up most of his time when they were not on missions; it was hard to say if a friendship was formed, but Sasuke found himself idly staring at clouds when there was nothing to do and took to declaring people and things as 'bothersome'.

Team 10's final verdict: Pass.

They were also not opposed to the idea of him joining them again in the future.

Team Gai had been...different.

The first thing Sasuke noticed was Rock Lee's significant change. He was still wild and puzzling with his inhuman energy, but there was a dampening to his usual antics. Tenten he hadn't known well before he left, but he found her overall grounded nature to be pleasing. She exploded in an almost comical way whenever Lee became over-zealous about any given thing, but, he supposed, they were controlled compared to Naruto and Sakura. Gai had been welcoming from the get-go and didn't bother taking anything slow when they trained or when they were on missions.

Because they specialized in close combat, Sasuke found it rather...enjoyable to switch to such a group. It was also because this was a slightly watered down version of his original team that Sasuke felt well prepared, but...there were some odd moments that made the Uchiha think too much.

Lee constantly challenged him to sparring matches, and, when Sasuke actually agreed, the taijutsu user held nothing back. Lee was trying to prove himself to the fullest extent and there was always a gleam in his eyes; however, when it was all over, he would stare at him like it was a shock Sasuke was there.

For a long time, Sasuke didn't understand.

With Tenten, he was able to piece together some things.

After a day of training, the team all went out for barbeque. It was lively, and he had secretly grown accustomed to this type of environment. He had happened to look up and caught Tenten staring at him from across the table. Sasuke had frowned, raising an inquisitive brow, but she had frowned herself before forcing a soft smile. He didn't think too much of it, but he caught her stares quite a few times that night. Before they all parted for home, he had asked her about it.

With a small smile, she looked at him for a moment, her eyes pained, and replied, "Sorry. You just remind me a lot of him."

Back then, he didn't know how to respond.

That night, as he tried to fall asleep, he was suddenly reminded of what Lee had told him years ago.

_"There is another top ninja—someone on my own team. I came here to defeat him; you were just practice."_

Sasuke ended up spending three months with them. A lot of people were surprised, but he never forced himself to care.

Team Gai's final verdict: Pass.

When Sasuke realized he only had one more team to go, he had been a bit skeptical. There had been no major problems; somehow he made a few bonds along the way, and Team 8's specialty was in tracking and locating.

Something had to be going wrong.

He soon realized the hardest was saved for last.

With Kurenai being a new mother, she could only do as much training and evaluating as she could while inside the village. As far as missions were concerned, the team left without her with Shino being the leader more often than not.

Sasuke hated missions with them.

Kiba had decidedly established a condescending, irritable attitude towards him, and Shino never got more involved with their squabbles unless he needed to. However, both boys were oddly aware of his presence as it related to Hinata, but that was the other thing.

Sasuke couldn't...go near her.

No one enforced it, and she never said anything, but Sasuke found being around the heiress put him on edge. He may have been paranoid, but he saw how Lee and Tenten acted around him, and that was all because of Neji. Now, here he was with the late Hyuuga's _cousin. _He learned a lot about Neji those last three months, and he knew Hinata had been close to him his last few years of life.

Sasuke knew the war wasn't his fault—it was completely out of anyone's hands—but he had some nagging guilt that told him there would be no way he could converse with her.

But Hinata wasn't...what he had expected. Her attitude was calm—almost mysterious—and nothing like the blushing, indecisive girl from his past. It was different. _She_ was different, and it made his views on her different.

Missions never went well.

Tracking and locating had a significantly better success rate if they were all together or if he was paired with Shino. If Sasuke was paired with Kiba, they argued constantly, which always ended with one of them storming off without the other and compromising their positions.

If he was paired with Hinata, he couldn't focus.

He'd go to great lengths to make sure they didn't touch by accident or that he wasn't caught staring at her. It got to the point where his senses failed him terribly, and the two were ambushed quite often.

Sparring was just as bad.

With Shino, he was okay and things could get done, but it turned into an all out brawl when he had to go against Kiba. Even worse, all senses and tactical genius evaded him, and the two were determined to kill each other with nothing but their bare hands.

He never won against Hinata.

Whenever he came close to landing a solid hit or executing a perfect jutsu, he'd pull his attack at the last second and only manage minimal damage. Hinata was plainly aware of his treatment towards her, and it angered her—she thought his actions were out of pity. Her Gentle Fists and Eight Trigrams would put him in the hospital if he wasn't careful.

After six long months, Kurenai was disappointed in Sasuke's lack of focus.

Team 8's final verdict: Fail.

Try again.

They were not eager for his return.

Kurenai was expecting more of him this time around.

Kiba was determined to fail him.

Shino was as passive as before.

Hinata harbored ill-will towards him.

His first day back, Kurenai had ordered them to spar with Sasuke one by one without rest. Like always, the spars with the males were predictable and simple; it was Hinata who garnered up the most abnormalities. After Kiba had collapsed from the Uchiha's last technique, Hinata had nearly pummeled Sasuke into the ground with an aerial attack. He managed to dodge and had instinctively spun a kick into her side. The girl fell to the ground, and Sasuke stared at her like he had killed her. Hinata looked up at him, almost urging him to attack. When he didn't, she unleashed a series of Jyuuken blows his way. Sasuke could only dodge and deflect, but he just couldn't hit her.

He didn't want to.

When Hinata stepped forward in another attempt to hit him, Sasuke wasn't able to step back in time and their proximity became unnervingly close. He would have sworn his heart burst in his chest, but the next thing he remembered was Kiba yelling for Hinata. Even with her abdomen bleeding and his katana firmly gripped in his hand, Sasuke didn't understand what had happened.

After that incident, Kiba and Shino made sure their spars never escalated beyond hand-to-hand combat. It was fine; he didn't want to go through that emotion again.

But Hinata wasn't as cautious.

Whatever she thought she saw during their last sparring session, it amused her; she knew she made him uneasy. She looked at him with curious eyes—she pushed her boundaries with personal space—she expected to see _something_.

* * *

Sasuke and the capable members of Team 8 made their way back to Konoha. They had gone on one last scouting mission to determine Sasuke's fate as a ninja, and it had been a success. Kiba led the group back, peeved that he had no valid reason to fail him. Shino silently trailed behind him and thought of the report he would have to give for the mission. Sasuke took up the rear, feeling a bit awkward that Hinata was in front of him.

Actually, he felt like she was toying with him.

Sometimes she would randomly stop, which would cause him to stop. Sometimes she would turn her head like she was going to look at him, which would set his nerves awry, but she would smile pleasantly at something else.

It was...troublesome.

"We're going to be ambushed," Hinata mentioned casually, her Byakugan activated.

They all looked at her—Sasuke being the only one who doubted her words because of her tone.

"How many?" Shino asked.

"Six. Three from behind and three from the left."

"I see." Shino thought for a moment. "Kiba, follow me. Hinata and Sasuke, cut off the ones following us."

Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino departed immediately, leaving the remaining two alone. Hinata turned to Sasuke, eyeing him.

She smiled vaguely, looking to the trees. "Let's go, Sassssuke."

He stared as she jumped to the trees and began to leave him behind. He really didn't want to do this. The mission was active until they returned to the village, and he could _not_ mess this up. But...he couldn't ignore direct orders either...

He cursed, following the Hyuuga.

The two traveled through the trees before Hinata abruptly stopped. Sasuke watched her curiously, but she simply gestured for him to lie low. He stayed two trees behind her as she watched the enemy with her Byakugan.

It was here he took a moment to truly consider this...thing he was feeling.

Before he even joined this team, he was hesitant about meeting the heiress. He was certain she would blame him for her cousin's death, and, usually, he would be able to brush it off. However, his emotions were no longer covered in steel—he had almost all of Konoha 11 to blame for that. If she had cried and begged that he explain how something like this happened—why it happened to her cousin—what could he say?

The fact that she never asked anything was both relieving and unnerving. She was stronger, wiser, calmer. There had to be more contributors to her current state, but he was certain Neji's death had a hard impact on her; it opened her eyes. It made her...powerful.

It enhanced her image.

Hinata was an attractive girl, no use denying it. With Ino, he always knew she would fill out, so her maturation hadn't tempted him much. She was still loud, so he never seriously entertained the thought of being with her. Sakura, as annoying as she had been as a child, matured greatly in personality, but, as pleasing as it was, he thought her body would mature a bit more. The pink-haired medic still had a temper, and her acquired strength was not something he wanted to take a chance with. Maybe she only showed her destructive side with enemies and Naruto, but he didn't want to put his bones at stake—especially when she could easily gain control over him by breaking then healing him over and over again.

The heiress had changed in every way possible. Her hair was different; her body was different; her attitude was different, and her skill levels were different. She was fit to be perfect for-

"Sasuke!"

The dark-haired was kicked in the chest and was sent colliding to the ground below. He grunted, looking up, and quickly rolled to the side. A ninja landed his fist in the spot Sasuke had been and quickly charged at him. Sasuke got to his feet and deflected attacks until he was able to land a hit of his own, kneeing the assailant in the abdomen. He looked over at Hinata to see her in mid-Palm Rotation, injuring two of the attacking ninjas. Hinata slowed to a stop and quickly assessed the situation.

"Behind you!"

Sasuke turned, seeing the fallen ninja ready to attack. He placed his hand on his katana but knew he wouldn't be able to attack in time.

"Eight Trigrams: Air Palm!"

A gush of air rushed past him and sent the ninja colliding into a tree, momentarily assaulting him with the onslaught of air.

"I need you to focus, Sasuke!" Hinata said, running towards him. "We need to find Kiba and Shino."

Sasuke saw movement behind her; one of the ninjas had gotten up and was charging right for the Hyuuga. Sasuke ran forward, forming hand signs rapidly. Hinata had noticed her pursuer and spun around, chakra gathered into her palm.

"Chidori!"

"Jyuuken!"

The ninja went stiff as volt after volt of electricity entered his body and an agonizing pain wrapped around his organs. When he fell to the ground, Hinata straightened, shaking out her hand.

"I felt that." She looked up at him. "You're really powerful, huh?"

Sasuke's eyes widened, caught off guard by their closeness.

Then he was hit in the back of the head.

* * *

When Sasuke opened his eyes, he was immediately aware his arms ached terribly. He was propped against a stone wall, and there was a flickering light source coming somewhere nearby. He groaned, trying to shift his weight, but was consumed by the pain in his arms amplifying to disastrous degrees.

"You're awake."

Sasuke looked in front of him; Hinata was seated before him with a fire separating the two.

"Sorry you couldn't wake up in Konoha. Kiba...wasn't in a charitable mood."

He blinked groggily, looking around. They were in a cave and the opening at the far left showed it was dark out.

"They went to get medical help, if that's what you're thinking," Hinata informed him. She stood, walking towards him. "And I don't mean to alarm you, but," she knelt next to him, whispering, "I think you're attracted to me."

Sasuke jerked back, agitating the pain in his arms.

"Your arms are broken, too," she added.

Sasuke blinked lamely, his breathing ragged, as he tried to make sense of what was going on. They were attacked. He had gotten knocked out. He woke up here with Hinata...and...

"What?" he finally asked.

"Your arms got broken after that ninja knocked you out. He was actually going for your chest, but his aim was terrible." She looked at him, smiling. "But you weren't asking about that, were you?"

He didn't say anything. He wished he hadn't inquired about it at all.

"You're attracted to me."

He didn't look at her.

"Do you like me, too?"

He swallowed hard.

"Do I make you nervous?"

"_No_," he denied quickly, turning his head, but froze when he found Hinata inches from him. She held his gaze, keenly aware to the color creeping up his neck.

"I'm glad to hear that."

Sasuke's mouth went dry. He was suddenly aware he was highly uncomfortable at the wrong moment. Hinata looked down—much to his horror—and sat back down, blushing slightly and giggling.

"I didn't mean to excite you," she apologized.

He grunted, frowning at the ground as his face and his groin continued to betray him.

Minutes passed as they sat in uncertain silence. Sasuke found he was strongly hoping the other two would arrive soon. He glanced at Hinata; she was staring blankly at the ceiling. She peeked at him, giggling when he quickly looked away.

"You're making a mistake, Sasuke. I'm not the one you should fall for."

He wanted to say something, but he had no idea why. He shouldn't entertain her crazy conclusions.

"You know, Neji..."

Sasuke waited, tense.

She laughed. "Neji once told me he knew my type better than I did. He told me...I needed someone tough—someone who was strong and didn't let his emotions run him. Neji didn't have anything against Naruto, but..." She stopped, looking at the seemingly inattentive Uchiha thoughtfully. "I used to like him, in case you didn't know. I used to...be in love with Naruto, actually." She looked at the ground, thinking. "Used to..." She sighed, assuming her original position.

Sasuke hadn't known that. He wanted to ask about it. What did she see in him? What made her come to her senses? Why was she telling this at all?

"After I had time to take in Neji's death...I thought about what he said. When he first told me, I thought he was being mean." She laughed briefly. "It took me some time to understand he was just blunt, and he had only told me that to protect me. He wanted me to _be_ with someone who could protect me... Strong, powerful, calm..." She hesitated, her mind wrapped in nostalgia. "That's...Neji in three words."

There was a brief silence.

"And I thought the same when I saw you."

Sasuke blinked, not knowing how he wanted to take this information.

"But you see, Sasuke, I can protect myself now. The old me... _She_ needed protection. She wasn't stable, and she wasn't brave. Now..." she smiled pleasantly, "I'm kind of impressed with myself. As far as love goes, I don't need a protector. I want a partner—a lover—an equal. I want to captivate and be captivated." Hinata paused, looking towards the cave's entrance. She stood, walking out.

Sasuke looked at her, wondering where she was going.

"They're here for you," she said, walking on. "And for what it's worth, Sasuke, you would have been perfect for me three years ago."

Sasuke watched in confusion.

"Oh." Hinata turned to him, her expression bright with remembrance. "You pass."

* * *

**One Month Later**

"This village has fallen," Hiashi mentioned to his daughters. The three stood outside on the highest level of the main house and looked toward the Hokage Tower.

Hinata looked at her father, amused. "We are a forgiving village," she said.

He grunted, patting his eldest on the shoulder. "When you take over, do not show traitors special treatment."

"_If_ I take over, I wish to be more united with the village. That means acknowledging and embracing all elite members of the ANBU."

Hiashi sighed, defeated. "Give it some thought." He turned. "Hanabi, let's go. It is time for your training."

The two left, leaving Hinata alone to lean leisurely on the rail.

It was a sunny day, and there was a slight breeze wafting through. After a few minutes of mindless enjoyment, a figure materialized on the rail. She smiled pleasantly, standing straight.

"To what do I owe the pleasure of an ANBU member?" she asked the person in the dog mask.

He produced a folded piece of paper. "From the assistant captain," he said simply.

"Another? I haven't read the others he sent."

"He's aware, so he kept this short."

Hinata thanked him, taking the paper. The man de-materialized, and she waited until all lingering signs of him were gone. She eyed the paper in her hands, leaning over the rail thoughtfully. She shrugged, deciding to open it:

_I'm captivated. Where do we start?_

For a moment, she looked at it with little interest. She folded it, thinking for a moment. "He's captivated?" She huffed, amused. "Captivated."

Hinata shook her head, laughing, and turned to walk inside.


	2. Chapter 2

**This was supposed to be for my birthday week, but, well, ya know... That's passed and my motivation comes and goes.**

**So, to all the July 20th babies, this is for you! Happy Birthday!**

**Enjoy!**

**.**

**.  
**

**.**

**.**

The evening breeze brought with it slight chills from the impending Autumn. The leaves were green with minor tinges and discolorations at the edges, and they swayed in the constant yet subtle swirls caused by the gentle winds.

Hinata stood atop the highest level of the Hyuuga compound and looked over the village. Her long white sundress fluttered lightly as she basked in the cool air. The summer had been exceptionally hot this year, and most of it was spent in stuffy offices in foreign lands; they were all mission related, save for a trip her team took to the best hot springs in Suna (though, Gai had assured her the best hot springs were located in the Mist Village). It was a nice experience, but she had much rather visit when the weather was much, much cooler because the combining heat had been too much.

Hinata smiled softly, the thought of _that_ team putting her into a melancholy mood, and decided she needed to take a walk.

A long walk.

One to clear her mind and reflect on things.

She turned to walk inside but halted, looking over her shoulder. She thought for a moment, her eyes innocently scanning her surroundings, and she backed into the rail, placing her hands on top of the cool metal, and pulled herself to sit upon it. Smiling wider, she looked around once more before leaning back and over the railing. The air decreased in temperature as she fell from the Hyuuga building, and she closed her eyes, breathing in deeply, preparing to adjust her body to land.

That is, until another body abruptly crushed into her from the side.

Hinata's eyes snapped open just as they landed to the ground below, and she found herself in the arms of a rat-masked ANBU member. The presence of this person was foreign to her, which almost confirmed this was a new member.

"Are you alright?" the shaken, male voice asked as he set her down.

She sighed pleasantly, straightening her clothing. "I wasn't in danger, but thank you. I was preparing to take a walk."

"By jumping from the roof?"

Hinata's smile widened. "What brings you all the way to the Hyuuga compound?"

"Right..." The man straightened. "As it concerns the assistant captain-"

She shook her head. "If he's sending notes again, please inform him my answer is the same."

"No, Lady Hyuuga, you misunderstand. He did not send me. Actually... It is not my place to interfere with the assistant captain's personal life, but he has been in dower moods since your latest refusal, and I only ask that you exchange a few words with him."

She shook her head again. "I have said all I needed to, so it's best to not bring it up again."

"Yes, but-"

"It's getting late." Hinata waved, walking on. "I'd really like some time to myself for now. Sorry you had to come all this way."

The ANBU member watched as she walked away. He had heard about the Hyuuga heiress from the other members—almost all of whom had met her due to the assistant captain's "Intel retrieving"—and she _was_ as beautiful as they had claimed, but they failed to tell him about her eccentric nature. She was wearing such a thin dress in cool weather, and her formal way of speaking almost had him blind to the fact that she was telling him to go away.

Looks aside, he couldn't see why she was the assistant captain's type.

* * *

Hinata walked through the village, hands clasped behind her back as her mind drifted between fleeting thoughts. Days like these she'd like to spend with someone—preferably a friend—and talk about mundane things. She had her fair share of people to choose from, but, at the moment, she would not actively seek anyone. It _was_ getting late, and her walk would not be long; the evening chill would get to her, after all.

"Hey."

"Kinda cold, don't you think?"

Hinata looked to her sides, seeing Naruto and Sakura walking next to her. She sighed inwardly, preparing herself. "You brought Sakura with you this time."

Naruto smiled, laughing a bit. "I'm just passing through."

Sakura placed her hand on the heiress' shoulder, prompting her to look at her. "Can we talk for a bit?"

o0o0o

The two went back to Sakura's house and headed towards her room. After being served something warm to drink, Hinata waited patiently for the kunoichi to say something. Sakura sat at her desk, thinking for a moment.

"I hope this isn't making you uncomfortable," she said.

Hinata shrugged. "I wouldn't say uncomfortable." She paused to think. "I'm a little surprised it's starting up again."

"This isn't because he told us to do something, so please don't let the past influence you. It's just... It's been two years and I don't think it's something that's going to pass that easily."

Hinata sighed, staring into her cup. "That's what's so surprising. I thought he was just interested because of the time we spent in that cave, but..." She looked up. "Well, why did _you_ want to speak to me?"

Sakura took a moment to gather her words, not wanting to come off pushy. "I really think you should give him a chance. You know, just talk with him a little and truly decide for yourself if this is something you want. The only conversations that happened were the one-sided messages."

"Ah," Hinata tapped her nose, "we did exchange a few words when we happened to be in the Hokage office at the same time. Besides, I don't want to get his hopes up by speaking to him."

Sakura laughed. "He's not so easily hopeful, but he's also not so easy with his emotions. I'm not sure how he really feels about you, but he still feels _something_. He's not the type to constantly pester people about what he's feeling, though."

"If that's the case, maybe he's over it."

Sakura smiled. "It wouldn't hurt to make a new friend."

Hinata let that sink in for a few seconds. "Sakura...why are _you_ trying to help him with this?"

She sighed, glancing away for a second. "He's my teammate and a dear friend." She looked out her window, noticing it had gotten darker. "Besides...why wouldn't I help him? I think he really wants you to talk to him."

"Did he say that?"

"No." She smiled, looking at the heiress. "But he did mention something interesting you said to him."

"Interesting?"

"You said you once thought he was perfect for you."

Hinata flushed, brows furrowing. "I said he _would have been_. I didn't mean I used to think that. I meant, reflecting on the kind of person I used to be, he would have been perfect for me when we were _twelve_."

Sakura laughed. "I get it, I get it. You're saying you changed from then, but he's changed, too. He's even changed from who he was two years ago."

Hinata stared at her, taking a sip from her cup.

* * *

"I always knew you were a hard worker, but it's still kinda weird."

"Weird..."

"Yeah, like, we're basically adults now, so you work hard because you want to."

Sasuke looked up from his paper work and stared across the desk at Naruto, who was idly toying with loose articles here and there. "Not everyone is guaranteed a promising career as Hokage."

Naruto looked at him, raising a brow. "If you're implying I have it easy, then you're wrong. I'm only free today and tomorrow."

"Un. So why are you here?"

"Why are _you_ here? Reports and stuff are for the captain, aren't they?"

"The captain is out, so I'm finishing up before I go home."

Naruto sighed, leaning back in his chair. "You might wanna start making free time for yourself. Good things might start happenin'."

Sasuke scoffed, resuming his paper work. "Like what?"

Naruto was silent, prompting Sasuke to look up. The blond's eyes were staring up, as if listening to something intently. Sasuke looked in the direction he was looking but didn't see anything.

"Eh," Naruto said, standing up, "well, who knows. I guess I'll go get somethin' to eat. See ya, teme."

Sasuke's cheek twitched, but he said nothing as Naruto left. Instead, he went back to his work and focused on getting finished. It's been nothing but intense work and tedious reports for the past few months, and he could hardly complain about it, but he was becoming more appreciative of his bed as of late.

A knock came from the door, eliciting a slight eye roll.

"It's still open." Sasuke looked up as the door opened, almost freezing, and sat up straighter, blinking a few times to make sure his fatigue wasn't getting to him. "Hyuuga."

Hinata smiled, slightly amused. "_Uchiha_. Good evening."

Sasuke didn't know how to respond. It's been a while since he saw her up close and in person, and it was a complete shock to see she showed up at his office—at this hour—wearing a sundress.

Sundress...

How wasn't she cold?

"Is this a bad time?" she asked.

Sasuke swallowed hard, focusing on the present. "No... I..." He cleared his throat. "I have reports to finish."

"Sounds like a bad time to me." Hinata sighed for no reason in particular, looking around the office. "Well, I guess another time." She turned out the room.

Sasuke stood. "Hyuuga."

She looked over her shoulder, only a hint of apprehension in her gaze. He wanted to say something—was very aware he _should _say something—but he didn't know what it could be. He didn't know how he wanted to come off. There was the issue of the letters he had sent, but she _did_ reply twice—and she had rejected him both times—so maybe anything pertaining to the content of those letters were irrelevant. He could bring up his accomplishments over the last two years, but wasn't that nothing more than pointless peacocking? If he brought up the accomplishments he's heard of hers, was that not blatant flattery?

Or would he appear too interested with her life?

Would anything sound casual and not like he was trying to come on to her? More than anything, he wanted to get to know her, but had he made his intentions too obvious for anything casual?

"Alright..." Hinata walked towards him, handing him a slip of paper. "Honestly, I just came to deliver this."

Sasuke looked down, taking the folded slip from her. "Who's it from?"

"Me."

"You?" He looked at it before looking back at her. "Can't you just tell me what it says?"

"Ah." She nodded. "So that _does_ make sense to you." She nodded again before turning out the room and closing the door behind her.

Sasuke stared for a second longer before unfolding the slip of paper.

* * *

"She said she'd go on a date with you?!"

"She said she wanted to talk."

"But she knows how you feel?"

Sasuke sighed, slumped on his living room sofa in his apartment. He only called Sakura and Naruto over to help him figure out a few things, but the more they questioned him on it, the more he thought too deeply about the Hyuuga's vague message. He glanced up at his friends, who were standing over him, and sighed.

Naruto looked at Sakura. "I mean, she _has _to know how he feels, right?"

Sakura folded one arm over the other, tapping her temple. "He never said it to her in person, and she doesn't know him like we do." She huffed. "Besides, Hinata's become more cryptic herself, so it's hard to know what she really thinks about all of this."

"Well... She said they should talk. Just the two of them?"

"Yes, but that doesn't mean it's a date. We have no idea what she'd want to talk about exactly, so it may not be anything positive." She hesitated, peeking at Sasuke. "I mean...it may not be negative either."

"Still," Naruto said, "he's gotta make a good impression, right?"

Sasuke groaned, sitting up. "For what? It's just a talk."

"If you were so convinced it was 'just a talk', you wouldn't have called us here," Sakura said.

He groaned again, not able to respond to that.

"Besides," she went on, "Naruto's right. Making a good impression wouldn't hurt. Personally...I don't think all those notes were the way to go-"

Naruto chuckled.

"-_but _it's in the past now. You just have to be..._sociable. _Just because she doesn't like you now doesn't mean she won't ever like you."

"That's what you're going for, right?" Naruto asked. "You want her to like you or somethin'? Like, go on dates and stuff?"

Sasuke ran a hand across his face, feeling his fatigue again. "I thought it was strange she came to my office, so I called you guys. Now that I have my mind again, I see I've made a mistake. The Hyuuga and I will talk—that's all."

"The Hyuuga?" Naruto scoffed. "You didn't call her that in all those love notes, did you? No wonder you never got good results."

"You really should call her by her name, Sasuke," Sakura said. "Calling her by her last name isn't even formal. It's just...impersonal."

"Especially since you were on the same team for nearly a year," Naruto added.

Sasuke huffed, leaning his head back on his sofa. "Fine. Anything else?" he added sarcastically.

But he paused because the sarcasm didn't carry to his tone, and it distressed him when he heard the unified, "Well..."

* * *

The meeting spot was inside the Training Grounds, and they were to meet just as evening began.

He wasn't deployed on any missions today and had finished up the reports from the previous night, so he had been at their agreed spot for thirty minutes. There had been a small training session going on when he arrived, but they left shortly after he planted himself against a tree. It crossed his mind to tell them they didn't have to disperse on his behalf, but he soon appreciated being left alone.

This was all ridiculous.

He stood here, alone, slanted against a tree, trying to come off as completely untouched by anything going on, but his emotions were beginning to flare, which was making him more nervous than hopeful.

Hopeful...

For what?

For Hinata finally talking to him?

He was actually surprised she wished to do so after all he's done to try to get her attention. What had stopped him from confronting her himself? Why didn't he just go to the Hyuuga estate and request a meeting with her? What possessed him to send all those notes after a period of her not replying, followed by two rejections? He would say work kept him from speaking to her directly, but that would be an excuse. He would say her refusing to speak to him was absurd, but that was just to stroke his ego.

What it all came down to was he was too much of a coward to see her, and too much of his pride refused to believe she wouldn't speak to him.

But now he was waiting to speak with her, and...he didn't want it to be like this.

He sighed, rubbing his eyes and cursing himself. There was still a lot to regular living he was learning through trial and error.

Like, never letting Naruto and Sakura help him with getting ready for a da- _meeting._

He touched his hair, his usually soft tresses that dangled in his face now hard and slicked back with gel. They told him he would be more approachable if Hinata could actually see his face, and his insecurities on the matter told him that actually made sense, but he didn't like the way it made his head feel or how the cold air now had full access to his exposed cheeks.

Shaking himself, he shoved his hands into his coat pockets. His teammates almost convinced him to wear a suit, but his comfort was dominant in the matter. He was thankful they wanted to help him out so much, but he doubted they knew what they were doing.

Sasuke looked up as he heard leaves crunching and stiffened momentarily when he saw Hinata approaching. She was dressed for the weather today, shoulders raised as her hands were securely tucked into the pockets of her long coat. When she was in front of him, she stared at him for a few seconds, as did he.

"What happened?" they both asked. While Hinata was inquiring about his hair, he was inquiring about her red cheeks and nose.

"How cold are you?" he asked.

Hinata shook herself. "I've been out for a few hours. The village looked especially nice today."

"I...see."

"And you?" she asked. "Your hair is...different."

He shrugged. "Ignore it. What did you need to talk about?"

"What? You should know." She pulled her hands out of her pockets, revealing two handfuls of folded slips.

Sasuke paled, realizing what they were. "You brought those."

"I wanted to return the ones I kept. I used to throw them away, but it didn't feel right after a while."

Sasuke took them from her, putting them in his own pockets. "Why would I need them?"

"I don't know, but it'd be better if you threw them away." She hummed, pocketing her hands again. "But you've got me curious, Sasuke. What is it about me that's got you wanting to talk to me so badly?"

He frowned, looking away. "This is what you needed to talk about?"

"Isn't this what you wanted?"

"I..." He groaned, uncomfortable in his skin. "I don't know. I just expected things to happen."

"Like what? Me liking you? Us dating?"

He looked at her, one brow raised. "You're blunt."

"I'm trying to understand. If this is about what I said in the cave, then I didn't mean to entice you."

He huffed, amused. "Entice me? Right."

"You weren't?"

"I was just..." He paused. "I just wanted to talk. You were—interesting."

"So, you don't like me?"

His body became warm and itchy, causing him to shift his weight. "Do you want me to?"

She frowned. "If it was no then you would have said so."

He shrugged. "I might like you. I might like who I think you are. I don't really know you, so maybe I don't."

"But you want to find out."

He didn't say anything.

Hinata's brows furrowed. She wished he didn't have the option to not answer. "So, if you don't like me, you won't bother me anymore?"

Bother her... Is that how she was feeling? Bothered? He was bothering her? He didn't know how to respond to that, so he simply nodded, adding a shrug to seem unaffected.

"And if you like me?"

He looked at her; his emotions would start showing if she kept being so direct. "Then I'd know I like you."

"And what if I like you?"

"Then-" He paused, looking just over her head to let that process. "Then..." He looked at her. Despite her chilled appearance, she didn't look unconvincing at all. "Then you'd like me."

"Then we'd like each other," she corrected.

"I suppose we would." He paused. "But you don't."

"In your words, I don't really know you. Until now, I never took you seriously."

"Until now?"

"Yes..." She sighed, looking to the side. "But to be honest, I don't know if I should entertain you. You have feelings for me, but I just want to get to know you. It's not that I like you or think I might, but I am interested in what kind of person you are." She laughed to herself, looking back at him. "Anyone who can use the ANBU as a messenger service might not be as intimidating as he appears."

He began to smile, simply as a response to hers, but quickly stopped.

"It's up to you, Sasuke. Knowing I may not like you back, you still wish to get to know me? You may end up liking me more."

"Or less," he added.

"We may end up hating each other."

"Or not."

"We may _just_ be friends."

He shook his head. "How terrible." He smirked in response to her laugh. "My emotions aren't as fragile as you're making them out to be."

Hinata took a moment to study him—maybe to determine if she was making a rational decision. "Alright," she said softly, capping whatever doubts she had. "We'll see what happens, Sasuke."

* * *

**_Eight Months Later_**

Sasuke sighed, exiting the Hokage Tower still in his ANBU attire.

The job of an assistant captain was a good one, and it suited him well, but, as of late, he thought everyone was working him too hard. He had spent two weeks tracking and taking down rising organizations with the promise of a two day break when he got home, but he was just informed he would be needed for another week long mission in the Land of Waves starting tomorrow. He knew the irritation and fatigue he felt would be solved with a night of easy sleep, but still...

They _promised_.

"Don't complain," he muttered to himself, rubbing his eyes. "Just sleep."

Instead of dwelling on it, he made his short journey through the village to the large family owned land near the Tower. Too tired to go through anymore formalities, he stealthily scaled walls and raced over rooftops until he reached the top of the Hyuuga compound. He landed on the roof in a crouch and stared across the way at the door.

Why did he come here?

He stood, ruffling his hair, and suppressed a yawn as he prepared to head to his apartment.

"You're back."

Sasuke turned, seeing a surprised Hinata in the doorway.

"How was it?" she asked, making her way to him.

"Long," he responded, holding in another yawn. "Never a moment for rest, which usually isn't a bad thing."

"Hm." She stopped near him, arms crossed. "You look exhausted. Are you going to be up for helping me look for apartments tomorrow?"

"Right... No."

"No?"

"I start another mission tomorrow—just a week."

Hinata sighed, puffing one cheek. "Hanabi wanted to go with me anyway."

"You're not-"

"Come on." She turned, walking inside. "You can sleep in the spare room."

"Are you mad?"

"No. I knew you were a busy guy."

He smirked. "Did you miss me?"

"Miss you?" She turned to him, casually appearing unamused despite her pink cheeks. "Are you implying something?"

"We're friends, aren't we?"

She reddened more, quickly turning to open the door. "Of course. Why ask?"

He chuckled to himself as he followed her inside and to the spare bedroom a few doors down from her room. It was large with wooden floors and was barren—save for a bed, a dresser, a nightstand, and a lamp. He walked to the bed, falling into a sit on it, and rubbed his face. "If I'm still asleep by nightfall, wake me up."

"Why? I could go get some clothes for you, and you can just shower in the morning before you leave."

"Okay." He kicked off his shoes and let his mask fall to the floor, laying on the bed. "Do that."

She laughed to herself, closing the door halfway. "You know, Sasuke, when you get back, it might be my new apartment you mindlessly head to after missions."

His emotions flared at the idea, but Hinata had a habit of teasing him. "Maybe you should just move into my apartment while I'm gone. It'll prompt me to head there first."

She laughed unsteadily, clearing her throat. "Your apartment is too small for two people." She regained her composure. "Why not just move in with me when you get back?"

Sasuke pushed himself up onto his elbows. She was staring out the door, cheeks tinted. If her expression wasn't so composed, he would have sworn that blush meant something.

She pressed her lips together, looking back at him and shrugging. "It'd be nice to come home to a friend."

"...Yeah." He lowered himself to the bed again, pushing his bangs back as he stared at the ceiling. "Yeah, it would."

Hinata smiled, scratching her cheek. "Well, sleep well." She shut the door.

Sasuke's lips parted, and he squeezed his eyes shut, feeling his cheeks begin to burn. He wondered if this would all remain real when he woke up.

* * *

_**See you soon!**_


End file.
